Smoke producing device for toys



June 14, 1966 E. SCHEIHING SMOKE PRODUCING DEVICE FOR TOYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 4, 1965 June 14, 1966 E. SCHEIHING 3,255,551

SMOKE PRODUCING DEVICE FOR TOYS Filed Sept. 4, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6- 7 l7 4x 5 2 22 I \"A 6 l I,

ple, of a model locomotive.

United States Patent 3,255,551 SMOKE PRODUCING DEVICE FOR TOYS Erwin Scheihing, Wurttembergstrasse 3, Stuttgart- Unterturkheim, Germany Filed Sept. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 306,558 Claims priority, application Germany, Oct. 20, 1962,

Sch 32,471 9 Claims. (Cl. 46--9) The present invention relates to a smoke producing device for toys, and it is one object of the present invention to provide such smoke producing device, especially for simulating the smoke issuing from chimneys or smokestacks of toy buildings, model steam locomotives, or the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a smoke producing device wherein an electrically heated resistance wire which is mounted in a riser which, in turn, is mounted in a container, the latter having a supply of a vaporizing fluid therein and is inserted into or forms a part of the smokestack of the toy, for example, a model locomotive.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a smoke producing device, wherein the resistance wire is bent such as to have a plurality of arms, which arrangement brings about the advantage that the heating and vaporizing effect of the resistance wire is more uniform and intense,'so that the device will only require a low amount of current and will only occupy a small amount of space and can therefore be mounted in a small toy or model with a short chimney or smokestack, for exam- The device according to the present invention has the further advantage, that it may be easily mass-produced at a low cost and that its parts may be easily, assembled.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the smoke producing device according to the present invention, which is installed in a model steam locomotive;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are longitudinal sections of two modifications of the device disclosed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the supporting member of the riser disclosed in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section of the device disclosing still another modification of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a section along the lines 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 shows a top plan view of a contact spring of I the device dis-closed in FIG. 5.

Merely for the purpose of an example, the device according to the present invention is illustrated in the drawings as being applied to the smokestacks of model steam locomotives. It is, however, also possible to mount this device in a similar manner in other toys or models, for example, in toy houses or toy factories, so that the smoke produced will issue from the smokestacks or chimneys thereof.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, the device according to the present invention consists essentially of a metal container 1 which is fitted from above into a smokestack 2 and partly extends into a boiler 3 of a model locomotive. A riser tube 4 of metal is mounted on the bottom of the container 1 which riser tube 4 has an inlet opening 5 near its lower end through which the vaporizing fluid 6 which is filled into the container 1 through its open upper end will also enter through the opening 5 into the riser tube 4. The lower end of the riser tube 4 has an opening through which the two arms of a resistance wire 7 are inserted which is preferably coated with an insulating enamel. This opening is sealed by a plug 8 of a suitable sealing cement Patented June 14, 1966 "ice which also serves as the support for the resistance wire 7 and maintains its two arms spaced from each other. One end of the wire 17 is soldered to the container 1, while its other end is connected to one of a pair of terminals 9, the other of which is connected to the container 1. The terminals 9 are supplied with electric current in conventional manner, for example, from the rails on which the locomotive runs.

According to a modification of the present invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the riser tube 4 in the container 1 which holds the fluid 6, and is disposed in smokestack 2 is soldered to one arm 10 which is bent upwardly from a metallic supporting plate 11 which is secured by a rivet 12 of plastic to a metal angle 13. The lower end of the container 1 is provided with a flange 14 which is tightly sealed by a layer 15 of sealing cement, which-forming the bottom of the container 1 and in which another arm 16 of the supporting plate 11 and the central part of the rivet 12 are also embedded. The resistance wire 7' is preferably enclosed by an insulating covering 17 and is disposed within the riser tube 4. The covering 17 may, for example, comprise spun glass wattling. The lower end of one arm of the Wire 7' is soldered to the angle 13, while the lower end of its other arm is soldered to the upper arm 10 of the plate 11. The lower ends of the angle 13 and of the arm 16 of the plate 11 serve as connecting terminals which engage a pair of contact springs 18 which are mounted in the boiler '3 of the locomotive.

FIG. 3 shows a modification of the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 2, inwhich a separate container 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is omitted and its function is taken over by the smokestack 2 Around its lower end at the inner side of the boiler 3 the smokestack 2 is provided with a flange 19 into which a bottom plate 20 is inserted which is provided with openings through which the lower arm 16 integral with the upper arm 10 the rivet 12, and one end of the resistance wire 7 are inserted. These openings in the bottom plate 20 and the gap between the outer edge of the plate 20 and the flange 19 are sealed tightly with an insulating sealing cement 21. The two ends of the wire 7 are again soldered to the angle 13 and the upper arm 10, respectively.

FIGS. 5 to 7 illustrate a further modificationof the present invention, in which the device comprises a housing 22 of plastic material having a tubular part 23 thereon which is inserted from the inside into the smokestack 2 r The housing 22 is secured to the boiler 3 of the locomotive and carries a container 24 which holds a supply of vaporizing fluid 6 which may be filled into the container 24 through an opening which may be closed by a plug 25. In this case, the metallic riser tube 4 and the electrically insulated resistance wire 7 therein together form a structural unit which may be inserted into and removed from the locomotive as a unit. One end of the wire 7 is soldered to the lowere end of tube 4 while its other end which terminates in a contact 26 is embedded in a plug 8 of sealing cement which closes the lower end of tube 4 Similarly as in the devices as previously described, the riser tube 4 also has an inlet opening 5 to permit the vaporizing fluid 6 to pass from the conpresses, so as to have a good electrical contact with the riser tube 4 The riser tube 4 is further provided with a projection 34 which, when the tube 4 is being inserted from above into the tubular part 23 of the housing 22, slides along a groove 35 in the part 23, until it emerges from the lower end thereof, whereupon the riser tube 4 may be turned to the'position as indicated in dotted lines in FIGURE 6. The riser tube 4 is thus held in the tubular part 23 by a bayonet lock and it is secured in its locked position by the action of contact springs 27 and 28 which, aside from engaging with the two ends of the resistance wire 7 press the projection 34 into firm engagement with the lower edge of the tubular part 23. When the riser tube 4 is to be removed, it may be turned at its upper end until the projection 34 is in alignment with the groove 35, whereupon the tube 4 may be lifted out of the tubular part 23.

Although my invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, I wish to have it understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiments, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A smoke producing device for a model or toy, comprising a container adapted to hold a vaporizing fluid,

a riser tube disposed within said container open at its top and having an aperture at its lower end, said riser tube communicating with saidcontainer by means of said aperture,

a resistance wire coated with an insulating enamel and bent to form at least two arms mounted within said riser tube,

the ends of said resistance wire forming terminals adapted to be connected to a source of current, so that said fluid passing inside said riser tube along said arms of said resistance wire being heated up and being vaporized by direct engagement of the fluid with the resistance wire, said ends of said resistance wire being connected to said terminals at the lower end of said container.

2. The smoke producing device, as set fiorth in claim 1, wherein one of said ends of said resistance wire is connected to said riser tube but is electrically insulated from the other end of said resistance wire.

3. The smoke producing device, asset forth in claim 1, wherein said riser tube and said resistance wire therein form a single structural unit for ready insertion into and removal as a unit from said container, and

said unit is disconnected from said terminal upon said removal of said structural unit.

4. The smoke producing device, as set forth in claim 3, which includes bayonet lock means for securing at least the lower end of said riser tube in said container.

5. The smoke producing device, as set forth in claim 3, in which said model or toy has a smokestack with a longitudinal groove therein, and

said riser tube is insertable from above intosaid smok stack and has an outer projection for sliding along and beyond said groove so as to engage with the lower edge of said smokestack when said riser tube, after being inserted, is turned about its axis, and further comprising spring contact means acting upon the lower end of said riser tube and electrically connected to said ends of said resistance wire when said riser tube is inserted into said smokestack, and pressing in this position said riser tube upwardly, and said projection thereon into locking engagement with said lower edge of said smokestack. 6. The smoke producing device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least a part of said container forms a smokestack of the model or toy, said container has a bottom, and said riser tube is secured to and supported by said bottom. 7. The smoke producing device, as set forth in claim 1, in which said container is open at both ends, and a bottom member is secured to and seals the lower end of said container, and a supporting member secured to said bottom member, the latter being connected to and supporting said riser tube. 8. The smoke producing device, as set forth in claim 7, wherein one end of said resistance wire is connected to said riser tube, and said supporting member has a part extending through said bottom member and constituting one of said terminals, and another member is secured to said bottom member connected to the other end of said resistance wire and constituting the other of said terminals.

9. A smoke producing device for a model or toy, comprising a container adapted to hold a vaporizing fluid,

a riser tube disposed within said container open at its top and having an aperture at its lower end, said riser tube communicating with said container by means of said aperture,

a resistance wire insulated by means of a spun glass wattling bent to form at least two arms mounted Within said riser tube,

the ends of said resistance wire forming terminals adapted to be connected to a source of current, so that said fluid passing inside said riser tube along said arms of said resistance wire being heated up and being vaporized by direct engagement of the fluid with the resistance wire, said ends of said resistance wire being connected to said terminals at the lower end of said container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1942 Dudek 469 X 2,763,246 9/1956 Raskin 469 X 3,160,980 12/1964 Seuthe 469 RICHARD c. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. J. BOVASSO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SMOKE PRODUCING DEVICE FOR A MODEL OR TOY, COMPRISING A CONTAINER ADAPTED TO HOLD A VAPORIZING FLUID, A RISER TUBE DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER OPEN AT ITS TOP AND HAVING AN APERTURE AT ITS LOWER END, SAID RISER TUBE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CONTAINER BY MEANS OF SAID APERTURE, A RESISTANCE WIRE COATED WITH AN INSULATING ENAMEL AND BENT TO FORM AT LEAST TWO ARMS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID RISER TUBE, THE ENDS OF SAID RESISTANCE WIRE FORMING TERMINALS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF CURRENT, SO THAT SAID FLUID PASSING INSIDE SAID RISER TUBE ALONG SAID ARMS OF SAID RESISTANCE WIRE BEING HEATED UP AND BEING VAPORIZED BY DIRECT ENGAGEMENT OF THE FLUID WITH THE RESISTANCE WIRE, SAID ENDS OF SAID RESISTANCE WIRE BEING CONNECTED TO SAID TERMINALS AT THE LOWER END OF SAID CONTAINER. 